The present invention relates to a novel fire retardant foam generator usable with a conventional fire hose nozzle.
Fire extinguishing materials include the use of water, and foam producing chemicals. Fire hoses normally deliver water under pressure received from a particular utility agency, or pressure provided by a pumping mechanism, such as a pumper truck.
Certain fires classified as class B and class C require extinguishing based on principles other than the cooling effect provided by water. For example, foam type extinguishing materials spread a layer of foam over burning material and extinguishes the fire by excluding oxygen. Similarly, fire extinguishing systems employ carbon dioxide, halogen, and the like to remove oxygen.
Foam materials have been applied to wildland types of fires by utilizing fire hoses and fire hose nozzles, generally employed with simple water delivery in conjunction with foam generating equipment. In this regard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,774,583 and 3,667,687 describe apparatuses for producing foams to fight fires which may be used with or in substitution for nozzles employed with large fire hoses.. Attention is also drawn to a foam making attachment for fire hose nozzles known as MX-Foamjet manufactured by Task Force Tips of Valparaiso, Ind. Prior art devices, however, are difficult to adapt to fire hose nozzles of different sizes. Such lack of universal fittings and connectors is often fatal during fire emergencies.
A fire retardant foam generator which is simple to manufacture, use, and adapt to existing fire hose nozzles would be a notable advance in the fire fighting field.